Current methods and systems for fingerprint acquisition are inadequate. Existing technology requires physical contact between the subject being fingerprinted and the fingerprinting device. Physical contact with the device can pose a hygienic challenge which, for example, may require periodic cleaning of a surface or sensor to mitigate.
In addition, the quality of the acquisition depends on the experience of the person performing the fingerprinting. For example, if the subject's finger is not precisely rolled over the card or sensor pad, then image quality is poor. As such, a subject or operator can manipulate the results obtained using existing technology. Furthermore, existing technology is labor and time intensive and thus unsuitable for mass processing facilities such as at an immigration checkpoint or at an airport.